Roller skate



W. WARE ROLLER SKATE July 10, 1951 Filed May 22, 1947 INVENTOR. MQYZW /Q746 7%@ MMM Patented July 10, 195

ROLLER SKATE Walter Ware, Chicago,. Ill., assignor to Chicago RollerSkate Company, Chicago, lill., a corpora.-

tion of Arizona Application May-22, 1947., Serial No. 749,664

4 Claims. (Cl. ZBO-11.728)

l This invention relates to roller skates of the type wherein yieldableor cushioning supports are provided for the wheels, and it hasparticular reference to the joints or connections between relativelymovable membersof such supports.

An object of the present invention is to effect improvements in rollerskates of the aforesaid including the skate body', wheel trucks and thescrews holding the trucks to the body, and the relative wear sustainedby the parts is determined by their relative expendability.

A further object is to provide novel ball-andsocket joints between thetrucks and the sole plate brackets, such joints including inexpensiveinserts of hard sheet metal which are secured in position by a simpleforming process.

A still further object is to provide the trucks with novel inserts ofhard sheet metal to form bearing surfaces for the heads of the screwsthat are passed through the trucks.

Various other objects, advantages and features of the invention will beapparent from the following specication when taken in connection In thedrawing, wherein like reference numerals referto like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a roller skate of the type. inwhich my invention is adapted to be utilized;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a portion of theskate structure illustrating certain improvements embodyingA theprinciples of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a sole plate bracket;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of a wheel truck adapted to cooperate withsaid bracket; and

Figs. 5 and 5 are perspective views of inserts constructed in accordancewith the principles of my invention and respectively adapted to bemounted on the bracket and truck illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the body of the roller skatecomprises a sole plate Ill, to the underside of which are permanentlysecured brackets I2 of identical construction (see Fig. 3) near thefront and rear ends, respectively, of the plate I8. Trucks I4, Fig. 4,are mounted on the axles I6 of the wheels or rollers I8. Stems of thetrucks I 4 extend diagonally upward from the axles I6 and terminate inrounded ends or balls 22 that are received in sockets formed in bosses24 on` the brackets I2. A flange or platform 26 on each truck I4extendslaterally from the axle I6 and is formed to receive the lower endof a cushion 28 of rubber or other resilient material. The upper end-ofthe cushion 28 is received by a cup 38. A screw 32l is passed upwardlythrough the platform 26, cushion 28 and cup 38 and extends into a tappedopening inaboss 34 on the bracket I2. Y

The skate is providedwith a truss construction consisting of a straightbar 36 andv a brace 38. The bar 36 extends between and is secured atVits ends to the brackets I2. The brace 38 is-secured at its ends to thebosses 34 on the brackets I2 by the screws 32 and jam nuts 4t threadedon the screws 32. A shoulder rivet 42 interconnectslthe sole plate IG,bar 3E and brace 38 at their respective midportions.

It is customary to provide a ball-andhsocket joint between the truckstem as 2E! and the: boss as 24 of each bracketIZ. A suitable bearing isaiforded by making one of the contacting members of hardened steel andthe other member of softer metal suc-h as a malleable casting. In thepresent instance, the truck I4 is made of relatively soft metal while ahardened steel insert or bushing 44, Fig. 5, is mounted in a socketafforded by an opening 45 extending through the boss 24 as shown inFigs. 2 and 3 to cooperate with the ball end 22 of the stem 28.

The insert 44 is of novel design having. a anged portion 43 and a collarportion 48. The hole. 45 in the boss 24 isslightly tapered or flared sothat the collar 48 maybe spread or formed over at its upper end toretain the insert 44 securely in position as shown. The rounded tongueor ball 22 pivots within the collar 48. A shoulder 5U on the stem 23having a rounded periphery seats against the flange 48 of the insert 44and permits a certain amount of rocking motion of the stem 20 whilelimiting the extent to which the portion 22 enters the socket.

When the skate is being used, the trucks 20 will rock back and forth onthe axles I3 in accordance with the foot movements of the user, suchmotion being permitted by the above described ball-and-socket joints andcushions 28. Hence, there is relative movement between the platforms 26and the heads of the screws 32. In order to reduce wearing of theplatforms 26 I have provided each platform with a hardened steel insertor bushing 52, Fig. 6, which lines the opening in the platform 26. Asshown in Figs. 2 and 4, each insert 52 has a flange 54 and a collarportion56 having an oval opening therein to match the oval opening inthe platform 26. The collar 56 is formed to provide lips adapted to bebent outwardly against the wall of a tapered opening 58 in the platform26.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided animproved skate construction which fulfills the above stated objects ofthe invention. The inserts 44 and 46 are cheap to manufacture and aredependable in service. Each of these inserts serves to conne the bulk ofthe wear at the respective joint or connection to the more expendablemember. Thus, the inserts 44 protect the bosses 24 from wear, while theinserts 52 protect the platforms 26 of the trucks I4, which are lessexpendable than the screws 32.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the specificembodiment set forth for purposes of illustration without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. The invention is accordingly not to belimited to the specic embodiment shown and described, but only asindicated in the following claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a roller skate wherein the skate body is connected to the wheeltrucks by joints permitting limited relative movement of the body andtrucks, each of said joints including a first member having a taperedopening and a second member received in said opening, inserts of hardsheet metal for said joints, each of said inserts having a flangeportion adapted to seat on said rst member, and a collar portion adaptedto be seated in said opening and spread outwardly at its free end tohold the insert in place. 2. In a roller skate, a skate body including asocket portion, a wheel truck having a stern with a portion received insaid socket portion, cushioning means between said skate body and aportion of said wheel truck, the walls of said socket portion beingtapered and converging toward said stem, and a bushing of hard sheetmetal positioning in said socket portion for contact with said stem,`said bushing having a collar portion shaped complementary with thewalls of said socket portion whereby to hold said socket portion andbushing securely together, said bushing having a flange portion forminga bearing piece between said socket portion and said stem.

3. In a roller skate, a skate body, a wheel truck pivoted on said body,cushioning means between said skate body and a portion of said wheeltruck, said truck having an aperture in the portion thereof whichreceives said cushion- .4 ing means, a screw passed through saidaperture and said cushioning means and threaded in said skate body, saidscrew having a head to limit pivotal movement in said truck, saidaperture having tapered walls converging toward said screw head, and abushing of hard sheet metal having a collar portion and a flangeportion, said collar portion having walls shaped comple-i mentary to thetapered walls of said aperture whereby to rigidly interconnect saidbushing and said truck, said flange portion forming a bearing piecebetween said screw head and Said truck.

4. In a roller skate, a skate body including a socket portion, a wheeltruck including a stem having an end portion received in said socketportion, the walls of said socket portion being tapered and convergingtoward said stem, a bushing of hard sheet metal including a flange and acollar portion interposed between said stem and said socket portion,said collar portion being shaped to conform to the shape of the walls ofsaid socket portion whereby to rigidly interconnect said bushing andsaid socket portion, said collar portion forming a bearing piece betweensaid socket portion and said stem, cushioning means between said skatebody Vand a portion of said wheel truck, said truck having an aperturein the portion thereof which receives said cushioning means, a screwpassed through said aperture and said cushioning means and threaded insaid skate body, Said screw having a head to limit pivotal movement ofsaid truck, the walls of said last mentioned aperture kbeing tapered andconverging toward said screw head, and a second bushing of hard sheetmetal having a ange and a collar portion, said second collar portionbeing shaped to conform to the shape of the walls of said secondaperture whereby to rigidly interconnect said second bushing and saidtruck, said second collar portion forming a bearing piece between saidtruck and said screw head.

WALTER WARE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,297,142 Gibbons Mar. 11, 19191,718,610 Strama June 25, 1939 2,233,355 Ware Feb. 25, 1941 2,300,477Whitcomb, Jr. et al. Nov. 3, 1942

